Committed to service excellence. Passionate about great service. Service is at the heart of everything we do. Great customer service is our top priority.

It’s admirable of course to aspire to do great things for customers. But the problem is that, all too often, the reality doesn’t match the rhetoric.

Words like excellence and passionate raise our expectations, we’re now looking for something special, something extraordinary. The bar has been well and truly raised.

Sadly, we can all point to examples of really poor service from businesses that make extravagant claims about their quality of service. And, when this happens, it’s the gulf between the desired state and the reality that we notice most.

In fact, as customers, competent, timely, efficient and friendly service can be enough for us to feel positive about the organisation we have been interacting with. For many of us, displays of passionate, extraordinary service can be a bit unsettling!

At The PC Support Group you won’t be surprised to hear that we too try very hard to deliver a really good quality service for our clients. We’ve spent a lot of time and energy defining what we mean by this, and how best to achieve it.

Fortunately, we get lots of positive feedback about the service we provide and it’s always a source of pride and motivation for us when it happens. We’ve also won quite a few awards for it, so we must be doing something right!

So, we’d like to share with you some of the things that we have learned about service over the years – and what we do to ensure that our people understand what good service looks like – and help them to spot the right opportunities to go that all important extra mile. If you’re also striving for great customer service then many of these insights can easily be applied to your own business.

As usual, most of this isn’t rocket science, a lot of it is about applying common sense. But you’ll probably agree with us that common sense is actually not so common!

If you would like to download our free guide on “Achieving Service Excellence”, please click here or if you would like a chat about how we can help with your IT support, please call one of our friendly team on 03300 886 116 and we’d be happy to give you some advice.

What the European Court of Justice ruling on keeping records of all hours worked means for the region’s businesses

Posted by Lindsey Knowles

Partner, Head of Employment Law at Kirwans Solicitors

Thu 23rd, May

A new ruling obliging all employers - regardless of size - across Europe to ensure that adequate systems are in place to record the exact number of hours worked by employees has been handed down by the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The measure is an attempt to enable wronged workers to prove, should they need to, that their rights are being breached and would assist the relevant authorities and national courts to enforce those rights. But with question marks hanging over Brexit, how will such a move affect the region’s businesses?

“There has been a lot of noise around the ruling,” said Lindsey Knowles, Head of Employment Law at Kirwans law firm, “but essentially the decision simply requires employers who, under the EU Working Time Directive should be recording employees’ working hours anyway, to document a greater and more objective level of detail than they have done previously.”

The ruling came about during the case Federacion de Servicios de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) v Deutsche Bank SAE, which was heard by Spain’s high court, the Audiencia Nacional.

Here, Spanish trade union CCOO brought legal action against financial organisation Deutsche Bank SAE. It argued that the businesses should be obliged to have a system in place that records the time worked each day by employees, so that compliance with stipulated working times can be verified. Evidence was produced that over half of overtime hours worked in Spain are not actually recorded.

“The EU Working Time Directive already sets out that workers over 18 can’t work more than 48 hours a week on average unless the worker has opted out in writing, and that employers must keep and maintain records that are ‘adequate’ to demonstrate compliance with that” Lindsey explains.

“However, the ECJ decision appears to impose an even greater obligation, and although employers in the UK are not currently required to record daily and weekly rest breaks and rest periods, the ruling could lead to that being the case in the future,

“The new measure will help employers by reminding them of the importance of keeping detailed data with regards to employee hours worked and breaks and holidays taken, and will also give them the chance to demonstrate the efforts they’re taking to ensure a healthy work/life balance for employees by complying with both EU and UK law.

Lindsey explained that the legislation is likely to stand whether or not the UK eventually leaves the EU.

“Employers have quite rightly been concerned about how they’ll be affected by the changes post-Brexit, and although EU member states have to determine specific arrangements for the implementation of such systems themselves, the current government has signalled its intention to restate all EU employment rights into UK law following our potential departure from the EU,” she said.

Refuting the suggestion that the ruling could mean the return to a punch clock, Lindsey said: “The requirement to record workers’ start, finish and break times does not necessarily mean the return to a punch clock. There can still be flexibility, as smart phones and apps can document working hours, and the ECJ did not specifically state that, for example, an email sent from home has to be recorded as work. We in the UK can decide the specifics – whether we remain in the EU or not.”

As the Prime Minister recognises the important work of Transport for the North and reversing decades of underinvestment, we kick-start of series of insights from across the North. Transport for the North’s Chief Executive Barry White explains why the cases we make for investment are about much more than transport.

When we set out to create a credible blueprint for investment in the North (in the form of our Strategic Transport Plan) we were acutely aware that transport isn’t the end in itself, it’s a means to an end. The goal: to use transport to create a thriving economy for the North, with more opportunities that are easier to access.

It’s why you’ll often hear our team say the Plan isn’t about transport, but about economy, prosperity and quality of life. We firmly believe that more investment, delivered in a coordinated way, can underpin a shift in the experience of living and doing business in the North.

So, when is a transport plan, not just a transport plan?

I want to give a taste of why it’s about much more than transport – and why you should care…

1. A northern workforce with more opportunity

If you’re a business in the North, poor connectivity can have a detrimental impact on your ability to attract a skilled workforce. Likewise, as a Northerner looking to further your career, you can face the prospect of having to move away from your family to get the job of dreams within a commutable distance.

It’s this current construct of transport as a barrier that we need to address. The journey from Leeds to Newcastle is just one of many such examples. As a business owner in the North East, you’re less likely to be able to attract workers from Leeds.

However, you could well attract employees from Leeds if that journey takes less than an hour, which it could with Northern Powerhouse Rail. Suddenly more people would consider applying for a job because the commute between Leeds and Newcastle is more doable on a daily basis – and vice versa.

The train journey between Liverpool and Newcastle currently takes over three hours, and so is not really seen a realistic to do in one day without either an early start or a late finish. Northern Powerhouse Rail will bring this down to less than two hours – this is the type of journey time that people usually see as reasonable to go there and back in a day and still have free time at either end. So instead of losing a day or being put off attending a meeting by the thought of losing a day travelling, employees are less tired, more likely to pursue opportunities, and still have time for leisure activities when they get home from the opposite coast, thus improving health and wellbeing.

Equally if you’re looking for work, historically pursuing new opportunities would mean needing to move, either because journey times were too long to justify staying in your current home, or because the frequency (or infrequency) of services didn’t work for your working hours or commitments like childcare.

The proposed improvements that will be delivered through our Investment Programme and through programmes such as Northern Powerhouse Rail, will mean that transport is no longer a barrier but enables, supports and promotes people accessing new opportunities.

The frequency of rail services between Leeds and Manchester through Northern Powerhouse Rail for example, will increase to a train every 10 minutes, and a journey time of less than half an hour. So, if you work in Leeds and live in Greater Manchester, you no longer need to worry about getting home in time for school pick-up if you miss a train, or getting back in a rush if you’re needed at home during the day.

If businesses can attract a wider pool of skilled workers, and people have access to the opportunities they want and deserve in the North, our economy benefits. No longer will we lose talented individuals and businesses to London or the South East. People will be able to be born, educated and work in the North with access to the same opportunities as people elsewhere in the country.

2. Supporting trade, growth and collaboration

Poor connectivity can also limit a businesses ability to trade and grow. The freight rail network in the North is a good example. East-West connectivity for rail freight is severely limited because of the current constraints of the network. Because of the old Victorian rail tunnels and train lines that are mostly made up of only two tracks, freight arriving at a port on the east coast must go up to Scotland or down to the Midlands before it can go west, which increases travel time and costs, making rail freight less efficient and more expensive for businesses.

Projects outlined in our Investment Programme will improve the ability and capacity of East-West freight connectivity, making it easier, efficient and less expensive for Northern-based businesses to move goods and trade internationally. This will attract new businesses to the North, which will provide more opportunities for the people that live here.

Improving rail freight will also encourage businesses to move goods by rail, reducing the number of large lorries from our roads. This will improve congestion on some of the North’s busiest roads and improve air quality.

Our Strategic Development Corridors identify where greater collaboration between areas can have positive impacts for smaller businesses too. In Sheffield City Region, major international firms such as Rolls Royce, Boeing and McLaren have set up facilities in the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District. In East Lancashire and the Aire Valley, there has been a renaissance in small advanced manufacturing firms that can provide components for these large companies.

Yet trying to get from these areas to Sheffield either by road or rail at the moment is unreliable at best and sometimes really difficult. Why shouldn’t a small business or entrepreneur in Rawtenstall be able to supply parts to Rolls Royce? By improving major road and rail connections in our Central Pennines and West Coast to Sheffield City Region corridors, we think that they could.

3. Better connections to the great places of the North

We all know that the North is a great place to live and work – it’s this greatness that attracts visitors in their millions. They come for our great historical assets such as Carlisle and York as well as our stunning natural assets too – our craggy coastlines, National Parks and our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

But these great places need better connections. Currently, getting around the North (in a way that leaves time for sight-seeing at the end of a day) can be a challenge.

The North shouldn’t be a day trip from London. With increased connections – through better investment – we can extend the length of stay, and therefore the spend, of visitors. Within a week, visitors could stand on the waterfront at Liverpool and marvel at the Three Graces, take a paddle cruiser on Lake Windermere, see the sunrise or sunset over the golden beaches of Northumberland and immerse themselves in the culture of the City of Hull.

Our Integrated and Smart Travel programme will help with this, making it easier for everyone to move around the North on public transport, with a simple way to pay backed up by a promise that they’ll get the fairest price for their journey. And programmes such as Northern Powerhouse Rail will help make getting from our airports to a range of world-class destinations faster and more convenient.

More than transport …

Access to work; exporting goods; attracting visitors – just some of the ways in which a transport plan isn’t really about transport. It’s about the economy, housing, health, happiness, experience, and, more than anything, opportunity.

It’s about giving every young person, both now and in the future, access to opportunity, with transport as an enabler not a barrier.

Join us over the coming weeks to find out more about the role of transport, and how transport could help unlock opportunity across the North.

AI or artificial intelligence is far from a futuristic idea looming on the horizon, yet few organisations are truly leveraging the opportunities the technology can offer for business growth.

When asked, in a recent survey undertaken by the Liverpool Enterprise Partnership (LEP) , if AI was used in their workplace, 24% of respondents said they didn’t know, while a further 35% said no. However, this is perhaps down to the lack of understanding of the various forms of AI.

Basic AI is in fact present in most workplaces, through automated emails, sales campaigns and social media scheduling tools. Process automation and rule-based systems can be created to address specific business issues, but many organisations are not harnessing the power of this because their approach to digital strategy is wrong.

What’s Your Problem?

“We need to do something with [INSERT NEWEST, SHINIEST TECH HERE]...” - that’s the most common brief we hear from clients and prospects nowadays. A request to do something - anything - with the latest, headline-grabbing technology. Our response is always the same - “What’s your problem?”

You see, the key to harnessing the power of tech and its transformational effects is understanding the organisational problem or challenge you are trying to address. In a world of connected living and technology that evolves rapidly, on a seemingly daily basis, it’s never been more important to avoid getting caught up in the hype and jumping on the bandwagon.

When looking at what technology can do for your business, you shouldn’t be starting from what type of technology to use. You should be starting with the problem. From that, with the knowledge of the business or sector from your team and the expertise and guidance of software development consultants like the team at Mashbo, you can work out how to respond. Identify the most impactful and cost-effective tech solution.

Most business owners and managers are now aware that taking appropriate cybersecurity precautions is as important as paying the VAT on time. Those organisations that still don’t get it are issuing an open invitation to the fraudsters and criminals to make their lives a misery!

But did you know that, for a relatively modest investment, you can put in place some very effective, common-sense cybersecurity measures AND open up a world of new business opportunities in the process? “Great, how do I do that”, I hear you say!

Well, we’re a big fan of the government-backed, industry-supported Cyber Essentials accreditation scheme, because it can help your business in so many ways:

It’s a simple and effective way to ensure that you have essential security processes and measures in place to help protect your business from attacks

It gives you a clear picture of your current cybersecurity status, and a roadmap to add additional security systems and processes when required

Certification means that you will be recognised as having achieved a respected cybersecurity quality standard

It puts you in a position to go for the full Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation which pre-qualifies you to bid for many central government and public sector contracts, that would otherwise not be available to you

It’s a valuable, public symbol of your commitment to cybersecurity and data protection, that you can use with pride in sales and marketing communications to your existing customers, sales prospects and other stakeholders, adding weight and value to your offer.

In a recent report by CyberGuard, part of the OGL Group, 84% of accredited companies surveyed said that Cyber Essentials had “helped their business to win contracts”, with other respondents highlighting “the importance of the certification in reassuring their customers”.

So, if you don’t currently have Cyber Essentials certification then I would urge you to seriously consider it. Your existing IT support provider should be able to help and advise you on this (hopefully they have already) although it will need to be led by an internal advocate who is familiar with other areas of the business as well as technology.

The PC Support Group is a Cyber Essentials-certified business ourselves and work with senior managers responsible for achieving certification within our client base, providing a wide range of practical information, advice, and guidance, to help them with their Cyber Essentials programme and to complete their submission.

If you’d like to discuss your IT support requirements and how we can assist you to become part of the Cyber Essentials community, boosting your security and sales potential - call us on 03300 886116, leave us a message here or email info@pcsupportgroup.com and, in the first instance, mention Cyber Essentials.

A leading solicitor is urging those representing themselves in court to ‘steer clear’ of unqualified legal advisors whose intervention could do more harm than good.

Paul Barnes, Head of Dispute Resolution at Kirwans law firm, said that sweeping legal aid cuts had led many people to try and access ‘law on the cheap’ by turning to unqualified, unregulated and uninsured legal advisers such as McKenzie Friends.

Traditionally providing informal advice, taking notes, and giving support in court, McKenzie Friends don’t need to be legally trained or have any professional legal qualifications.

But some McKenzie Friends now charge a fee for their support, and claim levels of experience and knowledge that they may not actually possess.

The dangers of using such unqualified legal advisers have become clear as a result of cases that have hit the headlines.

Last year an English couple, acting on advice from a McKenzie Friend, brought their child into Ireland in defiance of an interim care order and ended up in court. In another case, a man who had suffered permanent disability after three plastic bags were left inside him during an operation at the Basildon and Thurrock NHS Foundation Trust was able to pursue only part of a claim against the trust after acting on negligent advice given by George Rusz – who described himself as an ‘experienced legal professional’ and his firm Troy Lucas.

As a result, in a key ruling, the High Court found that the duty and standard of care should be determined by that which the unqualified legal advisor assumed – in this case that of an ‘experienced legal professional’, and went on to order Mr Rusz to pay £263,759 to Mr Wright, plus £73,200 costs as a result.

Paul said: “From groceries to energy suppliers, we’re all used to shopping around for a bargain nowadays. But when it comes to the law, there really is no substitute for a qualified legal professional who carries insurance and is regulated by an industry body.

“Those seeking to save money by scrimping on legal advice could find that it ends up costing them dear.”

Committed to service excellence. Passionate about great service. Service is at the heart of everything we do. Great customer service is our top priority.

It’s admirable of course to aspire to do great things for customers. But the problem is that, all too often, the reality doesn’t match the rhetoric.

Words like excellence and passionate raise our expectations, we’re now looking for something special, something extraordinary. The bar has been well and truly raised.

Sadly, we can all point to examples of really poor service from businesses that make extravagant claims about their quality of service. And, when this happens, it’s the gulf between the desired state and the reality that we notice most.

In fact, as customers, competent, timely, efficient and friendly service can be enough for us to feel positive about the organisation we have been interacting with. For many of us, displays of passionate, extraordinary service can be a bit unsettling!

At The PC Support Group you won’t be surprised to hear that we too try very hard to deliver a really good quality service for our clients. We are that passionate about providing excellent customer service that we’ve spent a lot of time and energy defining what we mean by this, and how best to achieve it. We have mapped out the entire journey that our clients take with us, from the first contact to the last, defining how and what we want to communicate at every stage, and identifying every opportunity to add value and build rapport.

We call it our Service Excellence Cycle (SEC) and everyone in our organisation is trained and tested on their knowledge of it, because every single one of us has a role to play in delivering it. We see it as a cycle because great customer service doesn’t have a beginning, a middle and an end, it’s a continuum on which every single contact with the client is important.

Fortunately, we get lots of positive feedback about the service we provide and it’s always a source of pride and motivation for us when it happens. We’ve also won quite a few awards for it, so we must be doing something right!

We have also produced an Achieving Service Excellence guide which you can download for free on the link here. In addition, if you would like more information about our IT and telephony support you can contact us on 03300 886 116 or send us an email to info@pcsupportgroup.com

According to the latest EU figures, more than 40% of UK businesses are now using cloud computing services – with more than 70% using the cloud for email, file storage and office-related software.

So, it’s here to stay – and for many businesses it’s delivering great results and benefits. But is it right for your business? To help you make that decision, let’s try and nail down the facts and the main advantages and disadvantages. First of all, let’s just define what we mean by cloud computing.

In a nutshell, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services – servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, intelligence, telephony and more – over the Internet (the cloud).

Advantages

Cost: No need for ongoing expenditure on hardware, software, onsite dedicated server rooms, or on associated running costs. Typically, you pay a fixed fee for what you use

Productivity: Your staff can access systems instantly from anywhere, making remote, flexible and collaborative working possible, as long as they have an internet connection, leading to an increase in overall productivity

Performance: Whether you’re growing or consolidating, cloud services enable you to be more dynamic because they are constantly updated, giving your employees the latest tools, technology, and protection, with the option to expand or reduce your computing requirements as required

Business continuity: Reputable cloud providers have exceptionally robust systems and processes which ensure a high level of uptime which leads to improved business continuity. Also, as cloud systems are not located at your business premises, and can be accessed from various locations, they can play a positive contribution to your business continuity plans

Disadvantages

Downtime: With cloud computing systems only being accessible via the internet, any internet service outages will lead to downtime, potentially interrupting your ability to do business until the connection is restored

Security: Moving to the cloud means that your security – and that of your customers – is only as good as the security arrangements of your cloud service provider

Data compliance: GDPR regulations, as well as specific industry regulations, may mean that not all cloud service providers are appropriate. Always check where the data is stored and what data compliance commitments the provider gives to ensure you don’t breach regulations

Dependency: Outsourcing to the cloud can result in a dangerous dependency on third parties and loss of internal expertise. As a result, selecting your provider and considering your failover position is business critical

Hidden costs: Moving from one cloud platform to another can be difficult and potentially expensive, so, again, comprehensive due diligence is vital.

Of course, every business is different and the cloud isn’t right for everyone. It could be that using the cloud for some of your computing services, but not all, is what is best for your business. This is where the knowledge and advice from your IT provider is vital, especially because as your business develops, your needs will change.

At The PC Support Group we are big advocates of Office 365 and everything that comes with it, but there are other alternatives that may be better suited to your needs. So, if you have never used the cloud previously or would just appreciate a friendly chat about the best options for your business right now leave us a message here and we'll contact you back, call us on 03300 886 116 or you can email us on info@pcsupportgroup.com

In February a new initiative launched with the aim of driving more choice for business banking customers, although it might sound a little strange.

It involves a bank asking some of its business customers to consider moving to another provider. And it says that customers who switch will enjoy offers that are better than what’s normally available on the market.

If you’re an eligible business customer with Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest you may have heard about this initiative.

Whether you are interested in banking sector reforms, or eligible to take advantage of the scheme, it’s important to understand why it’s happening, and what makes customers eligible to participate.

It’s part of Business Banking Switch - a scheme designed to give up to 200,000 eligible customers a unique opportunity to choose from a range of exclusive offers to switch their business current account to a selection of participant banks.

Why is it happening?

During the financial crisis RBS received support from the UK Government. As a result, to meet a European Commission (EC) directive on competition, the bank was required to divest several parts of its business.

This included Williams & Glyn – the name given to a portion of its UK Retail and SME banking business. However, following complications setting up Williams & Glyn as a standalone bank, Business Banking Switch was put in place as part of a broader package of measures to ensure the bank meets its obligations to the EC.

This means that RBS is taking the unusual step of providing £350 million to help a number of competitor banks to create bespoke offers that incentivise some of its SME customers to switch their accounts.

Eligibility

To take part in Business Banking Switch you must have a company turnover below £25 million, and be a customer who was due to transfer to Williams & Glyn. Essentially this is Royal Bank of Scotland SME customers based in England & Wales, as well as NatWest SME customers in Scotland and certain small business customers.

All eligible customers have been notified about the scheme.

What Banks can customers switch to?

Choosing the right bank is an important decision for any business. As the overall aim of Business Banking Switch is to create more choice in the business banking market, the larger banks who currently dominate the market are not able to take part.

There are currently nine banks who have offers available to customers:

Arbuthnot Latham & Co., Ltd

Clydesdale & Yorkshire Bank

The Co-operative Bank

Hampden & Co

Handelsbanken

Metro Bank

Santander UK

Starling Bank

TSB

Comparing offers
Eligible customers can use dedicated websites to view and compare the offers available to them from each participating bank. They can then decide if they would like to switch their account(s) as part of the scheme and benefit from the exclusive offers that are available.

There’s good news and bad news in the cybersecurity giant Symantec’s most recent report on internet threats. And it confirms a pattern that I’ve been increasingly concerned about in recent months, so much so that I wanted to share some important advice and guidance with you.

The good news is that, for the first time since 2013, the overall number of ransomware attacks is in decline. The bad news is that the volume of attacks on consumers is falling because attacks on businesses are rising, up 12% in 2018. Businesses are now the victims of more than 80% of all successful ransomware infections, with bogus emails the cybercriminals’ weapon of choice.

And ransomware is very bad news indeed, blocking users from accessing their computers or files until they pay a ransom to cybercriminals. It’s all too easy where you or I could simply open an email attachment and innocently allow a crypto virus into our network regardless of whether you have anti-virus protection or not. The reason why anti-virus protection is not always enough is complex, but the bottom line is that the criminals can be a step ahead, spreading far and fast before the anti-virus protections have caught up. The costs of recovery can be huge - and potentially fatal, especially for SMEs for whom the loss of data and interruption to customer service, for even a few hours, would have catastrophic results. So, first and foremost, think of backup solutions as an insurance policy. In a nutshell, it’s vital that all of your valuable data is backed up in a safe and secure location, out of the reach of even the most determined thieves.

Symantec’s report reveals that a key reason that attacks on consumers is declining is because consumers are increasingly using mobile devices with their essential data backed up in the cloud.

And this highlights a key vulnerability for many businesses. Onsite backup can be just as vulnerable to the same infection as live systems. This is because once criminals have access to your onsite network they may also get access to your onsite backups. The answer is a secure and managed offsite backup solution. First, ask yourself these key questions about your data and backup arrangements:

What would happen if you suddenly lost access to your live data and onsite backups, whether through a ransomware attack, or a flood or fire in your office?

How long would it be before this became a serious issue for you – minutes, hours, days?

How often do you review your backup arrangements? As your business develops, and therefore your needs change, so will your data backup requirements. Therefore, it is essential to periodically review your backup solutions.

Another worrying statistic: of 81% of ransomware victims confident that their backup would enable complete recovery, only 42% succeeded! So ACT TODAY and put the right backup arrangements in place, so when the worst does happen recovering your systems and data is possible.

If you'd like a backup review and an informal and confidential chat about your options to ensure you are protected adequately, leave us a message here, call us on 03300 886116 or email info@pcsupportgroup.com